The Sorcerer's Journey
by CassiusBrutus
Summary: Darren is a sorcerer and this is the tale of his adventures, of war, romance, betrayal and friendship. Rated T for violence and some swearing. On Hiatus. I will be back, but I will be working on other projects for a while.
1. Beginnings

**Authors Note: Thank you all for reading this. This is my first fic and I hope that you like it. I would love to hear what you think about it and if it is well received, I will continue with Darren's adventures. Once again thank you all for reading and I hope that you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.**

Chapter 1:Beginnings

Our story takes place in a world of diversity. The world holds two continents, the eastern continent Barile, and the Western land of Durgle. Our story takes place on the continent of Barile, which is also split in two. In the north there is the coalition of kingdoms, collectively known as Tar'kal. To the south there is the empire, Arjak, despising any non-humans and being led from the capital of Jarkan.

At the edge of a small town, nestled deep in the empire.

A shadow approached the house of the newlywed couple carrying a package in its arms. It was the dead of night and the shadow stole up to the door set down its package and loudly knocked the door. It then quickly fled the scene, leaving a small bundle on the doorstep.

"What is that noise?" asked the woman as she was pulled out of her slumber. "What could it be in the middle of the night? Go and check at the door." The woman's new husband grunted and crawled out of their bed. He walked out into the living room of their small cottage and approached the front door. He opened the door and paused.

"Hun, can you come out here?" he called. The young woman got up and approached her husband, confusion at what it could be written on her face.

"What is i-" she froze in place. The young couple stood at the threshold of their home looking blank faced at the small bundle that lay on their step. For several minutes they stood frozen until the bundle started the mewl. Then, though the woman was very young, her motherly instincts kicked in.

She turned to her husband and with a very serious face said "Well come on, we can't just leave it out there to die now can we?"

His face that had been very serious until that moment softened and he gently kissed his wife and said "Okay, lets take it inside and figure out what needs to be done in the morning." She smiled, gave him a peck on the cheek and went to go back to bed. The man bent over and picked up the small bundle of cloth that contained a newborn baby. As he picked up his new child, something caught his eye. It was a piece of black cord around the neck of the babe and the baby was playing with the talon hanging from the end of it. The man, who had traveled much before his marriage instantly recognized it as that of a dragon. He was befuddled, but decided not to let it bother him.

He turned back and slowly strode out of the dark and back into the light of his small home and whispered "Welcome home son."

9 Years Later

"HEY, GET AWAY FROM HER!" At the sound of the voice, the group of young boys turned away from the 8 year old girl that they had been terrorizing. She took advantage of their distraction and bolted to the boy who had yelled.

"Brother!" She cried as the clung to him, shuddering. He held her comfortingly, whispering and stroking her short blonde hair. She looked up into his face with her beautiful sky blue eyes. Seeing those innocent eyes filled with fear made the boy flood with rage, but he was sure to keep a smile on his face so as not to scare the little girl that was his adopted sister.

He smiled and said "Run to the store and wait till I get there."

She clung to him even tighter and whispered "Darren no, I want to stay here with you."

Darren pulled her tight and said "Kati, ill be fine, just head home, ill be right behind you." He let her go and she reluctantly ran down the road in the direction of town. After she was out of sight, Darren turned back to the gang that had been bothering her. At the head stood Harold, a brute of a boy who was the son of the town head. The boy used that influence gather a gang of boys around him and torment those he looked down on.

"Now why did you have to ruin our fun?" he sneered. "Well, Shrimp? Why did you do it?" As he was speaking, he strode closer and closer to Darren, leaving the other 4 boys standing in a group, until he stood toe to toe with him. Standing next to each other, the physical differences were very clear. Harold had an easy six inches and 40 pounds of muscle on Darren.

"Well, I guess that you'll have to entertain us in the place of that little girl." He grinned at the gang and they laughed as they guessed what their leader had in mind. He turned back and continued "But don't fret, we'll have some fun with her lat-" He was cut off as a fist lashed out and connected with his nose. He collapsed in a heap and Darren stood over him fury blazing in his eyes. No one ever expected the small boy to show so much speed and wiry strength and he used that to his advantage.

"Don't ever threaten my family again you bastard." Darren delivered a kick right to the fallen boys groin, looked up and bolted from the scene. From the ground, the gang leader, with tears falling from his eyes managed to croak out a "Get him!" and the boys took off after Darren. He sprinted down the road, his feet thudded as he sprinted down the road and his heart pounded in his ears. He heard the thud of footsteps as the boys gained on him in the open stretch of road, their longer legs working in their favor. Sensing that they would catch him if he didn't do something Darren took a sharp left turn and sprinted into the woods. He ducked under branches and lept over roots, his small size working for him in this cramped area. He didn't slow down even when he heard the boys in pursuit get caught in the foliage while trying to follow in his path.

Eventually, the sounds of pursuit disappeared and Darren slowed to a walk and tried to get his bearings. He slowly strode through the forest and eventually came upon a small pond. He glanced at himself in the reflection and grimaced when he saw his red-brown hair in disarray and his face covered in small scratches he had obtained in his escape. Darren sighed and set to fixing his hair. After setting himself aright, he glanced around the glade. It was very green and on the other side of the pond, Darren saw a small hamlet nestled between the trees. Curiosity took over and he crept closer, but when he saw a figure move toward him in his peripheral vision, his instinct took over and he fled as quickly as he could in the direction that he hoped was towards home.

After running for several minutes, Darren broke the treeline and saw the small village where he lived. Smiling, he slowed to a walk and slowly approached the small shop on the edge of town run by his family. As he approached the store, the front door flew open and in the doorway stood a beautiful, blonde woman in her late 20's.

"Darren!" she cried out and she flew over and slammed into him, catching him in a vice-grip. Tears leaked out of her clear blue eyes as she inspected the his body. Darren felt another, smaller force slam into him with a cry of "Brother!" Darren smiled as his mother and sister looked him over. His mother got a serious look on her face and stared straight into his eyes.

"Darren, what happened, Kati wouldn't tell us anything other than that you were in trouble."

"It's nothing, I handled it." Darren responded and his mother relented. All together, they strode into the small shop and Darren looked around at the familiar surroundings. There were goods hung everywhere, everything ranging from weapons and armor to rope and food. Darren looked over to the counter just in time to spot the tall handsome blonde man that was his father walk through the doorway, shining a dagger.

His father looked at him with a straight face and said "You took care of it?" Darren nodded and his father nodded back before saying "Okay hero now go get cleaned up before you help, I don't want you scaring the customers away." Darren grinned when he looked down at his disheveled appearance. He then went in the back, changed his clothes and cleaned his injuries.

The day passed uneventfully until there was a pounding at the door as Darren and his father were getting ready to close up shop. Darren watched out of the corner of his eye as his father opened the door to the big musclehead that was the mayor of the town, red in the face and anger written in his expression.

"Jim! Your little runt hurt my son!" he raged. "I hope that you've punished him for it!"

Darren's father looked back calmly and said "It was my understanding that he was tormenting his little sister and I don't think that protecting you family should be punished. Now kindly get out of my store." Darren's father closed the door.

From outside the door, the mayor could be hear yelling "How dare you? Well don't blame me if my boy does something about that brat of yours!" Darren and his father finished cleaning up the store and got ready to go home.

"I have a few errands to take care of in town before I head home." His father said "Just hurry home, and stay on the road." Darren nodded and turned and started to jog down the road away from town toward the small cottage that he and his family lived in. As he ran down the road, he glanced into the woods from side to side to make sure that there weren't any dangers, animal or otherwise. He slowed as he saw something in the middle of the road in the distance. As he got closer, he realized it was a person and as he got even closer he realized that it was Harold. Darren stopped close enough that he could see that Harold was bruised and had a broken nose, but not so close that he couldn't escape if he had to.

Harold called out "C'mon shrimp! Not ready for round two?" Darren stood in place and waited for the brute of a boy to make his move. What Darren didn't see was that while he was distracted with Harold, boys were sneaking through the darkness and surrounding him, but he didn't notice that until they lept from their hiding places and encircled him. Harold let out a smirk as Darren hastily measured his surroundings. He counted about 10 children, about half the children in the village, and almost all of the boys. They slowly closed in, cutting off any hope of escape. Darren hastily looked around hoping for an escape route, but as he turned back to the front, a fist connected with his jaw. His vision swam in front of his eyes and his breath was knocked out of his lungs when a knee connected with his center. Darren collapsed to the ground as the boys crowded around for a chance to land a hit on him, whether it be a punch or a kick. All Darren could do was curl up as small as possible and try to outlast the barrage.

Harold let out a bark to back up and all the boys took a few steps back. He walked over and picked Darren up to his feet. Feeling the breath flow back into his lungs, Darren thought that maybe it was over and he would be able to go home. His hope was short lived when a fist drove into his solar plexus. Darren doubled over in pain and Harold leaned over to whisper "You know brat, we're going to kill you." Fear flooded Darren's senses and he started to shiver. Harold continued "And then, we're going to go and take care of your little sister." Fear was replaced with anger and Darren continued to shiver, but for a different reason.

"You bastard." Darren whispered

"What was that shrimp?" Harold replied driving Darren's face into his knee.

Darren stumbled back and screamed "I told you to stay away from my family!" As Harold strode toward him with a fist raised, Darren looked around at the boys surrounding him and something snapped inside of him. There was a flash of light followed by an explosion. Darren found himself on the ground, his vision fading in and out. He slowly stood up and looked around. The boys were all looking at him with a look of horror on their faces. They all looked at somewhere else and Darren followed their gazes to the boy on the ground. His skin was slightly charred and he was smoking. Darren nearly jumped with the realization that it was Harold, and he was the one who caused it.

One of the boys stepped back stuttering "W-What are you?" Darren took a step toward him, but he turned and sprinted down the road screaming "Stay away from me you freak!" The rest of the boys quickly followed suit and ran as fast as they could from the body of their leader and the boy next to it. Darren turned back to the Harold and saw the small rise and fall of his chest and let out a small sigh of relief, but then the smell of burnt flesh hit him and he felt his bile rise until he vomited. After he finished emptying his stomach, Darren walked a ways down the road until the body was out and sight and sat down to think. _What is wrong with me? Why could I do that?_ The questions kept flooding through Darren's brain and he had no answers to these questions other than that he no longer had any right to live with his family. He didn't know when this power would flash up again and he didn't want to hurt his family. Darren knew that he had to leave, but he also knew that he needed supplies. _Where am I going to go? What should I do?_ Darren steeled himself and stole down the road before his father found him on his way back home. After jogging for a few minutes, Darren arrived at home. As he approached his house, he saw that the lights were off and he knew that this was his only chance. So as not to let the hinges squeak, Darren climbed in through the window of the small cottage and crept into his room. He quickly packed as many materials as possible into his small day pack and grabbed his lucky walking staff before he moved into the kitchen. Guilt flashed through him as he thought about the fact that he was stealing from his own family. Because he was distracted, he wasn't paying attention and knocked over a mug and it fell to the floor with a lout thud. Darren froze. He waited for several moments until he was sure that he hadn't woken anyone. When he was sure that he was till alone, he continued packing away food that he could store for a long amount of time. Just as he finished packing and was getting ready to leave, a small light in the corner of the room caught his eye. He turned the face the little blonde girl who was carrying a candle and rubbing her eyes.

"Big Brother? Where are you going?" she asked looking up at him. Darren stared down at his little sister thinking that when she grew up she was going to be very beautiful. He walked over to her, gave her a kiss on the cheek and a hug and said "Kati, I'm going to be gone for a while okay? Be good." Kati looked back up and him with tears in her eyes. They stood for several moments looking at each other before she finally nodded and he turned to leave.

As Darren closed the door he could hear a soft weeping and his sister whisper "Come back soon Big brother." Tears filled Darren's eyes as he ran away from his home for the last 9 years as quickly as possible. After a few minutes he slowed to a walk and found a large tree with a gap in the trunk. Darren sat his pack down and settled himself down for the rest of the night. He lay there for a long time, thinking about what his family would do when they realized that he wasn't there. Eventually, his exhaustion overtook him and a fell to sleep. He awoke the next morning feeling strangely refreshed. He got up and put on his pack. Then he set off for the day. He walked through the forest for hours, just letting the beauty of nature fill his senses. After a few hours of walking, the surroundings started to look familiar. Then when Darren glanced up, he realized that he was back in the glade that he had wandered into the day before. He walked up to the pond, dropped to his knees and started to drink. He was interrupted when something grabbed the scruff of his neck and picked him up off the ground. Darren tried to turn to see what had picked him up, but he couldn't get the leverage.

Just when Darren gave up trying to see what had him, he heard "Well now, what do we have here?" Darren looked off to his left to see an old man standing beside the pond. The man made and hand sign and Darren was dropped to the ground. He looked back and say a large man made of clay. Darren's eyes widened with realization. This man was a wizard! Darren sat and thought for a moment about his situation. Then he was struck with a thought. Darren ran over to the man and dropped to his knees in front of the man.

"Mister, please make me your apprentice!" The man stood and looked down at Darren with a perplexed look on his face. They stayed that way for several minutes until Darren couldn't take it anymore and said "Please sir! I don't have anywhere else to go!"

The man looked at him and finally said "Why not?" and turned and walked away. Darren sat there for several moments before the man called back "Well come on lad, I don't have all day!" With a feeling of elation, Darren lept to his feat and chased after the man who was now his master. Darren followed him in silence as he approached the small building that he had seen the day before, the clay man following closely behind him. As he entered the house, Darren was struck by how clean and tidy it was. Darren had expected a cluttered mess that he commonly associated with magicians. He glanced around the small 3 room building to see the main room with a kitchen and fireplace. Through the back, he could see the room that obviously belonged to the wizard. Darren turned to the man that had accepted him as an apprentice. He sat in a chair and Darren stood in front of him for what seemed like minutes before the man said "Well go on, put you things in the back room and come back here." Darren hastily followed his orders. After dropping his things in the small, clean room that was only a bed and a chest, Darren returned to the man. As he stood in front of him he was surprised to see that the man was not as old as he had originally assumed. He appeared to be in his mid 40's when Darren had originally thought him in his 70's at least.

After minutes the man finally said "Right, if you are going to be staying here, these will be your daily chores. You will get water for our meals, chop wood for the fire, make sure to have a fair sized stock for when winter comes, and you will be in charge of cleaning the house. In the past the golem did all this, but it is more efficient to have him do more dangerous tasks like gathering materials while you do the light labor now boy, get to it." And with that, Darren left his new home and settled in for his new life.

5 Years Later

With a sigh, Darren swiped the sweat from his brow and leaned on his ax, taking a good look at his work. He let out a grin while he looked at the large pile of chopped firewood, he thought back on the last few years. Despite his expectations, the man did not teach him magic and instead he was basically the housekeeper. But he could not complain, he was more at peace than he had been in years. Darren gathered his work and piled it up neatly beside the house. Over the last few years Darren had grown, perhaps not as much as he had hoped, but he was as of average height and the labor everyday kept him fit and strong. He leaned the ax on the side of the house and walked to the pond to wash the sweat of the day off himself. After washing himself, he walked back up and into the house, stretching to loosen his muscles. He heard footsteps behind him and when he turned to see the golem that he had gotten used to in the last few years and he grinned at it. Of course it showed no emotion back, but Darren was used to that. As he walked into the house, he saw the his master sitting at his table waiting and Darren turned his head with a confused look on his face.

The man looked back at him and said "You have been here for 5 years today, and not once have you tried to pressure me to teach you to use magic. Why?"

Darren looked back and said "Originally I thought that I wanted to learn magic, but I realized that pushing you wouldn't gain me anything. If you were going to teach me, you would do it on your terms, not mine."

His master stared at Darren's face with a searching look on his own and after a few moments finally said "That was a good response. Okay now is the time."

"You are going to teach me how to use magic?"

The mans serious face broke out into a grin and he said "Why not? Now boy, you should know, not everyone has the potential to learn the art of wizardry, but you have the spark. I saw it when you first came to me and that is why I accepted you."

"You only accepted me for the that spark?"

"What, you thought I wanted a housekeeper? Now here take off those woodsman's clothes and put on these." The old man tossed him a pile of black. Darren opened it up to see that the packaging was a cloak and inside was more black, a pair of pants. _Where is the shirt? _

"His master seeming to read his mind answered "There is no shirt, I don't want it restricting your movement, besides the cloak will keep you warm." Darren shrugged and went into his room to change. After changing he returned to the main room wondering at his new clothes. They looked to be of expensive materials and it felt very high-quality. Then Darren realized that his master would only want to spend this much once and grimaced when he realized that he was already in his full growth. He was as tall as a man, but not the tallest person by a longshot. He sighed as he strode into the living room to find his master. When Darren entered the room, he saw that the old man was no longer there. Glancing around, Darren stepped outside to look for the old man and spotted him waiting patiently beside the pond in the middle of the glade. The man glanced Darren up and down as he approached and finally nodded.

"It suits you." he said. "Now then, lets get down to business." Darren stood with his feet spread and his hands folded behind his back and waited for his instruction.

"Right, so, a wizard uses magic by preparing what you expect you need at the beginning of the day. I have already prepared several for the day and I will show you now." With a flick of his wrist, a small light appeared in the man's hand and danced between his fingers.

"We are going to start with spells like that. Ones that are not likely to be deadly if you mess up, which odds are you will once or twice." The man grinned to show that it was meant in good humor. Darren grinned back and followed the mans instruction on how to prepare the simple spell. The old man demonstrated the proper hand gesture to summon the small light. With a grin Darren imitated the movement and then frowned when nothing happened. He tried again and again nothing happened. Irritated now, Darren angrily completed the gesture and yelled in frustration when his efforts were met with no results. His master looked at him with a perplexed look on his face.

"Hmmmm, I suppose you will just have to practice. Don't come in until you have successfully summoned a light." Darren nodded and tried once more, paying no heed as his master walked away and returned to their home.

The day slowly passed with Darren making no progress whatsoever. As the daylight faded the old man came out to find Darren on the verge of tears at his lack of results.

"Boy! Unless you can create a light before the sun falls behind the horizon, I am going to end your apprenticeship!" _There, maybe now ill get some results out of him now. _The man didn't really intend to end the apprenticeship, the boy had too much magical potential to let him out without training. Fear entered Darren's eyes at the thought of being cast out. He tried the maneuvers again with a renewed urgency, but results still failed to manifest. After several tries, Darren collapsed to his knees in frustration. Tears flooded his eyes and his throat choked up. His master showed a look of concern and confusion, there was no way that it shouldn't have worked. Darren stood on shaky legs and kept trying, doing his best not to collapse and break down. Finally, Darren screamed into the air in frustration. He screamed with all his might and threw his hands into the air. With that movement there was a familiar event. The world exploded into light and a memory flashed into Darren's eyes.

_ Harold stood with his fist raised, ready to deliver a punishing blow when he was engulfed in flames and light. The blast blew Darren off of his feet and his vision blacked out. The last thing he saw was the look of surprise and fear that flashed into Harold's eyes before the flames engulfed him completely._

After a minute, Darren came back to the present. He quickly cast his vision around him. There was steam rising from the pool and the ground around him was scorched. He cast his gaze around looking for his master and after a moment, saw him lying in a heap just outside the ring of scorched earth. Darren ran to him and quickly checked his vitals, tears in his eyes and guilt running through him at the thought of hurting someone else. Darren tried to wake the man, but he didn't show any signs of rousing. Tears ran down his face as he struggled to wake the man.

"Please, wake up. Don't die. I don't want to be alone again." he cried. Darren's breath caught in his throat as the man's eyes slowly opened. The old man let out a small cough and turned to look at Darren, a surprisingly clear look in his eye.

"So that's why you couldn't do it." he murmured. "Boy. You aren't cut out to be a Wizard."

Darren let out a little gasp and asked "But didn't you say that I had magical potential? And didn't I just hurt you with magic?"

The man looked at him calmly "You have one of the greatest magical potential that I have seen, but you aren't meant for the research of a Wizard, you are a Sorcerer, possibly descended from dragons. You weave your magic, you don't prepare it. I can't teach you anything, you will have to learn it on your own."

As the realization of what he was being told dawned on him, Darren's face drained of blood. His lips started to quiver at the thought of being alone.

His master seeing him on the verge of a breakdown sat up and said "Your powers will be controlled in time, you just need to practice, go on a journey. But until your powers stabilize, you should learn to use weapons." He got up and limped inside the building, leaving Darren crouched in place. After a few minutes, he returned carrying a pack and a small sack.

"This is the bag you came carrying 5 years ago. I've restocked it for your leave." Then he handed over the small sack. It was surprisingly heavy. "This is some money to buy some weapons until you can use your magic at will." With a small push, he sent Darren on his way out into the forest in the direction of the town that he had abandoned years ago. Darren started off reluctantly, walking slowly while looking back, but after a moment, he took off quickly. He walked for hours before the dark made it impossible to travel any farther and decided to settle down for the night.

The next morning Darren awoke to the sound of movement and he jerked his eyes open, remaining perfectly still otherwise. He quickly scanned the area and saw a squirrel leap off a tree. He breathed a sigh of relief and got up and ready for more walking. He wandered for a few hours before he spotted buildings at the edge of town. Darren slowed as the first people came into his vision. He pulled up the hood of his new cloak, obscuring his face to all those who could see him. Darren wandered around the town, taking in the familiar sights and sounds that he had grown up with. It had been 5 years, but it looked like not much had changed in the time he had been gone except all of the people looked older. Darren froze in his tracks as a beautiful girl wandered into his vision. She was just shorter than him and had long blonde hair that fell in ringlets. The breath was stolen from his lungs and he couldn't even think straight. _Since when did such a beauty live here? _She turned his way and saw a man watching her.

The man had a cloak that covered his head and fell in a way that covered his whole body. _Why is he watching me? _

"What are you looking at?" She demanded. Darren's face blushed a deep red as he realized how what he was doing could be misinterpreted.

"Sorry, I haven't been here in while." he said, allowing his hood to fall to his shoulders. The girl froze in her tracks and stared at his face. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. It was like seeing a ghost. Tears filled her eyes, startling Darren.

"Darren." she whispered. Suddenly she jumped through the air and collided with him.

"Kati?" Kati nodded her head, buried in his chest. Darren felt her hot tears run down his front as she cried. He grabbed her and held her close for several moments, the tears welling up in his eyes as well. After a long moment, he released her and held her by her shoulders at arm length.

"Why don't we go see Mom and Dad?" She only nodded in response and they took off in the direction of the store that their family still owned, Kati clinging close to Darren. They entered the store together and saw the tall beautiful, blonde woman in her early 30's standing behind the counter. She lifted her eyes from the counter and saw her daughter enter, clinging to the arm of a boy she felt that she should recognize.

"Welcome back Kati, who is this?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Whats that matter mother? Don't recognize your own son?" Darren returned with a sad smile on his face. The woman's eyes shot open and she examined him closely. With a sudden intake of breath, she grabbed Darren and pulled him into a crushing embrace, tears rolling down her cheeks. Darren hugged her back smiling, thinking that it was great to be home. Darren heard a cough. He turned to see his father standing in the doorway behind them, grinning. He walked up to Darren and offered his arm. Darren stared at him for several moments before taking his father's forearm in his grip and hugging the man.

"Where have you been all this time?" his father asked. Darren took in a deep breath and set to telling his family the whole story of what happened, from the night he left to the night before. By the time he was done, the sun had crossed the sky and the moon had risen.

"And then I met Kati in town." he finished, catching his breath. His mother got up and went to the small kitchen in the store to prepare a small meal while they caught up.

Darren's father looked him up and down and nodded "I see that you've been keeping in shape." Darren nodded, grinning.

He got up from the table. "I'm going to take a walk." Kati followed him saying that she would go with him. Nodding, Darren walked outside and strode down the road under the moonlight, his sister walking alongside him.

Kati turned to him "You kept your promise." tears once again filling her eyes. Darren looked at her with a questioning look in his eyes.

"You came back." she said simply.

An indescribably sad look came over Darren's face as he said "I'm sorry Kati, I can't stay."

"Why not?"

"I can hurt people with this power of mine. I don't want to hurt anyone that I care about, so until I can control it, I will travel and train, constantly testing myself and improving myself." He then turned on his heel and walked back to the store, leaving Kati standing in the middle of the road, the moonlight shining off her glossy blonde hair, light glinting off the water that trickled down her cheeks.

Darren entered the shop and looked closely at the weapons that they carried. He could tell that the stock was larger than when he helped in the past and it made him happy that they were successful. In the end a short spear and a small crossbow caught his eye and he thought that he could learn to use it with a little work. He also grabbed a small bag and 20 crossbow bolts to take with him in it. He set it all down on the counter and rang the bell. His father entered the room with a perplexed look on his face and it grew even more confused when he saw the weapons piled in front of his son.

"What is the meaning of this?"

"Father, I need to do this, don't try to stop me." His father looked at him for a long moment and finally nodded, he knew what it meant to adventure. Darren pulled out a few coins from his small pouch and held them out to his father. The man silently accepted the money and gave his son a hug. He then turned and walked into the sitting room, dreading explaining why their son was gone a second time to his wife.

Darren turned and left the shop without another word. When he stepped out into the road, he turned to look where he had left his sister, to see that no one was there. He sighed sadly, thinking that she hadn't wanted to say goodbye when she crashed into him from the other side.

"Don't go!" Tears poured down her face as she pleaded with him. Darren pulled her in close and gently kissed her cheek.

"Don't worry, ill be back."

"No, this time, when I'm old enough, ill come find you!" Darren stood in silence. He gave her one more hug and turned away. He walked down the road and prepared to start his life anew once again.

**A/N:Well there you have it. The first chapter, I hope that you liked it and I would love to hear what you think. I know that its a little silly to leave off when he is only 14 but my next few chapters will have his adventures in his late teens and I didn't want this chapter to be a billion words (its too long already). Anyway, thanks again for reading.**


	2. Companions

**A/N: Thanks again to anyone who is reading this (it's getting a little old I know, but just let me thank you a little bit more) and again I truly appreciate any comments and suggestions you have about the story, so please, Review!**

Chapter 2: Companions

'Thunk' the sound was made when the bolt stuck the center of the tree, right above a notch. Darren, now 17 years old looked critically at his work. There were several crossbow bolts lodged in a tight circle around the knot. He nodded in satisfaction. This level of accuracy could keep him safe from the common bandit. Darren strode back to the stump he had leaned his equipment on. With a spin, he picked up his spear, leaned it on his shoulder and set off. He stepped quickly through the forest, his feet light and a smile on his face.

Over the past 3 years, Darren had traveled a lot in the small surrounding area, but he still had yet to travel as far as he would have liked. He had trained with his new weapons of choice and had achieved some level of mastery with his magic.

Darren froze when he heard the snap of a twig nearby. He waited in place, his body not moving but his eyes quickly scanning the area to search for the source of the sound.

Suddenly, a wolf leaped out of the bushes and stood crouched in front of him. They stood and stared at each other for several long moments. Darren dropped his pack and brandished his spear, grinning. With his free hand, he reached up to the clasp of his cloak and let it drop to the ground. The beast tensed, ready to spring. Darren exploded into action. The wolf lunged for his throat, but Darren shifted just out of the way. The wolf flew through the air right where he had been only a moment before, its eyes turning to glare at him as it passed. As soon as it landed, it turned and leaped for him once more. Darren smirked. _Hmmph, this isn't even a challenge._ He casually stepped to the left and as the wolf flew by once again, he casually skewered it with his spear. The beast landed, staggered, then collapsed to the ground, motionless. Darren sighed. This hadn't even been a challenge.

There was a soft padding sound and then Darren cried out as pain lanced through his calf. He dove away and turned to see another wolf standing there, blood running down its snarling chin. Darren grimaced at his own stupidity, of course the wolf hadn't been alone. He regretted that he had gotten overconfident and careless. He quickly cast his gaze around the clearing and spotted 2 other wolves step out and one larger one standing aside. As he looked at the larger number of enemies, he grinned. Testing himself like this was what he lived for now.

Darren slowly climbed to his feet, his leg screaming in pain. He took his fighting stance and waited for one of the beasts in front of him to make the first move. He was careful to keep his senses open for any other beasts nearby.

He smirked at the nearest beast "Let the games begin." and sprung into action. He charged at the nearest wolf and quickly struck it with the haft of his spear. It fell to the ground and struggled to get back up. He turned just in time to see another one leaping for him. He caught its teeth on the shaft of his weapon and fell to the ground, trapped under the beast. As the wolf struggled to catch a part of him in its jaws and tear it apart, Darren reached deep inside himself until he found it. A swirling vortex of power deep inside that he had trained for years to reach at will.

He dove into the power and cried "Burn!" Suddenly flames engulfed the beast and it shrieked in pain. It released him and rolled to try to extinguish the burning fur all over its body. Unfortunately, despite its best efforts, the flames would not go out.

Darren sighed as he felt some of his strength leave him. He needed more practice. He was pulled back to reality as a set of teeth clasped down on his shoulder. He yelled out in pain and jabbed his spear in the place that he hoped the beast was. There was a yelp of pain and he felt the teeth release from his shoulder. He let go of the spear and rolled out of the way. Leaping to his feet, Darren quickly scanned the area for the remaining two enemies. He quickly spotted the wolf that had bitten his leg standing beside the larger wolf. He grimaced in pain and felt warm blood flowing down his shoulder and across his chest. The littler wolf charged Darren, colliding with him. Darren held the wolf by its neck as it tried to bite down on his throat. Saliva dripped down its jaw, falling onto Darren's chest. He released a with one hand and slipped it down to the the small pouch at his waist. Opening it, he grasped one of his crossbow bolts. With a mighty cry he drove it into the eye of the wolf. It screamed in pain, blood spilling out and splashing over Darren's chest. Finally, it collapsed on top of him. After a moment, Darren pushed it off of him and climbed to his feet.

The large wolf stood where it had been this whole time. It stared at him, studying him. Darren assumed a fighting stance and prepared for the final attack. However, instead of attacking, the wolf merely turned and sprinted off into the woods, letting off a howl as it did so.

With a sigh of relief, Darren collapsed in exhaustion. He sat against a stump and studied the scene in front of him. Four wolves lay in front of him. One was the lone wolf that he had killed before the ambush. The one he had burned lay smoldering and the one he had stabbed in the eye was also still. He then noticed a slight movement and saw the fourth wolf still alive. He started in alarm before he noticed that it was lying on the ground, his spear still in its side. It wheezed its breath in and out, blood leaking out of its side.

Taking a breath, Darren stood, grunting in pain. He stumbled over to the wolf. It looked at him, its gaze almost pleading and whimpered. He grasped the haft of his spear and pulled it out. The wolf whimpered again as fresh blood spilled from the wound. With a grunt, Darren jabbed his spear into its chest, and the whimpering ceased.

Darren wandered over to his pack and rifled through it until he found his bandages. He quickly washed his wounds and bandaged them. Once he took care of that, Darren pulled out a knife and set to cleaning the corpses.

Darren rolled up the skins and put them in his pack. He grunted as he put on his pack, picked up his spear and walked away. He limped out to the road and turned to walk in the direction of town.

As he walked, he thought about the large wolf. _Why didn't it attack me? _Because he was deep in his own thoughts, he didn't notice himself walk right up to a group of men blocking the road. He stopped when he noticed that they weren't moving.

"Good day sir! I'm sure you know about the toll for this road correct?" The clear leader of the group called. All of the men wore similar armor and it was clear that they were all part of a well disciplined organization.

Darren glared at the men and said "Look, I'm tired and in no mood to deal with common highwaymen. Killing the 4 of you would be tiresome so just let me pass and you'll still have your lives."

The man in the centers eyes bugged open and he shouted "And just who are you to say such a thing?" He and all the men around him drew their weapons and prepared to kill the impudent man standing in front of them. They could just take all of his money from his corpse anyway.

Just before they attacked they heard "Hail!" they all turned to see two strangers walking towards them. One was dressed in chain-mail and a bastard sword could be seen swinging from his back. He was easily more than six feet tall and his blonde hair fell to below his shoulders. In stark contrast to his noble appearance, beside him walked a small woman with short black hair, dressed in green leather. Her black hair was cut just below her ears and she carried a heavy looking longbow.

The man grinned at the bandits and said "Is there any problem here gentlemen?" The smile on his face turned fierce. "I sure hope not. I am a little tired after a long day of travel and a fight would be a bother."

Anger flared across the man's face, but he quickly got control of it and turned to his men.

"Lets go. This isn't worth it." They walked past the two travelers and quickly traveled down the road, away from trouble. After the men had traveled out of site, the travelers approached Darren.

"Are you all right?" The big man asked. "I don't like so see people killed just because they are outnumbered"

Darren grinned "Believe me, there would have been 3 more people dead than you expected.." The man bellowed a laugh and slapped Darren on the back. Darren cried out in pain and fell to his knees. Pain flashed through the injury on his shoulder. A worried look entered the jovial man's face.

"Are you alright?" he asked. "What's wrong?" Darren stood and pulled back his black cloak, revealing the bandage covering his shoulder.

"I had an encounter with some wildlife this morning." A thoughtful look passed over the man's face.

"Well sir, the day has nearly passed, why don't you make camp with us this night?" Darren thought about it for a long moment. _This man seems to be honest enough. Perhaps it will be worth it._ After a moment, Darren nodded his agreement.

The man bellowed with a laugh "Excellent. Well then sir if you are to accompany us then it is most wise to introduce ourselves. I am Daniel, warrior extraordinaire, and this," he said gesturing towards his companion "is my companion. The master archer, Melissa." She nodded to Darren.

Darren smiled at them and said "My name is Darren, just a wanderer." With the introductions over with, they walked to the side of the road and set up camp a little ways off.

Later in the night, Melissa was silently checking the wound on Darren's shoulder. After rinsing it off, she applied a salve.

"Dammit! That stings! You could have warned me!" Darren cried. She merely looked back at him with a look in her eye that said "Quit being a baby." She quickly applied fresh bandages to the wound and moved away. Darren sat back and closed his eyes.

Daniel, leaning back casually against a log grinned at Darren and said "So wanderer, what have you been traveling for?" Darren, usually very cautious around strangers was taken in by the man's infectious personality.

"I'm just trying to improve myself."

Melissa surprised him by suddenly saying "I have a question. How did you intend to kill those bandits? I can't imagine that you would have fought them at close range with those injuries, and your crossbow could only take out one or two before they reached you."Darren sighed deeply and a sudden sadness and reluctance overtook him.

"I was hoping that I wouldn't have to show this to you for a while." Darren stood and breathed deep. He delved into himself until he found that swirling vortex of power. Daniel and Melissa sat watching, a look of interest on their faces.

Darren focused his power on himself and calmly said "Shine." Suddenly he lit up and shined like a torch. Daniels eyes flew open and he jumped to his feet. Darren ceased the stream of magic.

"I intended to kill them with that power. I'm sorry I deceived you, I will leave your company now." Daniel jumped to his feet a smile plastered on his face.

"Wait! That is amazing! Can you do anything else?" he cried.

Darren gave him a look of confusion and said "Of course, but wh-"

"That's fantastic! You have to travel with us!" Darren stood frozen in place. This was the first time someone had not reacted with fear or violence to his powers. He had no idea what to say before Daniel ran up to him and grabbed him by the shoulders, excitement shining in his eyes.

"I-I s-suppose I could..." Darren stuttered, still unsure of how to react. Daniel grinned at him with a smile so large and genuine on his face that Darren couldn't help but smile back. Darren turned to look at Melissa to see her reaction and saw a small smile on her face. Darren felt his eyes well up with tears. He felt a flush of gratitude at the companionship that was being offered to him. He turned to Daniel and offered his hand. Daniel grasped his forearm in brotherhood, his eyes flooding with tears.

After that, they all settled down and spoke of casual things for a while before settling down for sleep. As Darren started to drift off, he wondered in amazement at the friendship that these people had offered. With that thought, sleep overtook him.

**A/N: Well thanks for reading chapter 2. It's a lot shorter than the first chapter, but that one was much longer than originally intended. I intend for the rest of the chapters to be about this size or a little longer. Thanks again for reading.**


	3. Tests

**A/N:**

Chapter 3:

Light broke through the trees and a pair of deep green eyes fluttered open. Darren blinked twice and crawled out of his bedroll. The sun had just risen and it was still early. Darren thought about the previous day and smiled to himself. He had traveled by himself for so long that he didn't know what to expect. He stood and glanced around, seeing his new companions spread out around the remains of the previous night's fire. Groaning with stiffness, he packed up his equipment and started a small fire to chase away the cold of the early morning. It was clear to Darren that his new friends were not accustomed to waking up early like he was. Sighing, he set to reheating the leftovers of the previous night's dinner and waited while the others stirred from the scent of meat permeating the air.

The first to awaken was Melissa. She silently took some food from Darren and sat down to wait for their last member to get up. For several long moments, they sat in silence, neither of them being the talkative type. Finally, Daniel rolled out of bed, no longer able to fend off the smell of cooking food. With a massive grin on his face he took his breakfast and immediately dug in.

After eating Daniel let out a massive belch and bellowed "Wonderful! We're not used to having food when we wake up. I'm already glad that we asked you to join us!"

"About that." Darren interrupted "I know you asked me to travel with you, but what exactly does that entail?"

"Well, I guess you could call us mercenaries, but that would be a little inaccurate. We have morals, so we don't just accept any job. But on the other hand, we don't turn down a job just because we don't like the person taking our contract."

Darren mulled this over for several moments before saying "Okay, why not? I'll join you."

"That's fantastic!" Daniel happily pounded on Darren's back, causing Darren to nearly collapse with the force. Before they got ready to set out for the day, Melissa quickly checked on Darren's injuries and Darren was astounded to find that they were already nearly healed.

"That's astounding! How could the injury already be gone?" He exclaimed.

"Well, being in our line of work, we have a tendency to garner an injury or two while on the job . That's why we don't skimp on anything to get us back on our feet as quickly as possible." Daniel explained. Darren nodded, understanding the importance of health in this line of work.

Darren smiled and said "Alright, so where are are we headed first?"

Daniel grinned back. "Well, first, I think that we should have a practice bout. We haven't seen you fight so I would like to test your abilities firsthand. Is that alright?" Darren nodded in agreement. This would also let him evaluate his new teammates. Not knowing the strengths and weaknesses of your allies could land you in a lot of trouble. Together they all stood up and walked to a clearing near their camp.

Darren and Daniel stood across from each other with Melissa off to the side mediating.

"Remember, don't hold back or you'll regret it!" Darren called. Daniel merely nodded back, a grin plastered on his face. He was thinking that there was no way that this unarmored man could match him. Darren reached up to the clasp on his neck and cast the cloak into the air.

"Let the games begin."

Before his cloak even hit the ground, Darren charged forward brandishing his spear. Daniel quickly took a stance, holding his bastard sword in one hand. As Darren approached his analyzed Daniel's stance and right before they collided, he slid to the left and thrust. Daniel shifted on his feet and easily parried the spear. He slashed back and Darren barely stepped out of the way in time. They quickly exchanged blows, never able to connect. Darren leaped back, breathing hard. He grinned. This was the best challenge he'd had in a long time. He decided the switch it up a little. Darren changed his grip on the spear and charged forward. Daniel nearly stumbled when Darren attacked, wielding his spear like a quarterstaff.

He attacked, swinging his spear back and forth, from side to side and slowly pushed Daniel back. Suddenly, Daniel stopped moving when he suddenly changed his fighting style. He was wielding his blade with one hand on the hilt and the other on the back of the blade. Wherever Darren swung, he made a small movement and blocked.

They fought for several moments, neither giving grounded. Daniel's eyes shown with a mixture of delight and determination as he fought with a man who he could consider an equal. Darren's face was set in a scowl as he struggled to break through the large man's impenetrable defense. Suddenly, the look on Darren's face changed to a smile as he thought _I suppose I will have to get a little bit less conventional._ Darren dropped low and swiped his leg through the air. His foot collided with Daniel's legs, removing his feet from under him. Daniel's heavy body collided with the ground with a mighty crash. Daniel's head spun, but when he opened his eyes, he clearly saw the point of a spear held against his throat. He swept his gaze up the length of the spear until it reached the smirking face of Darren.

"Checkmate." Daniel bellowed a laugh and climbed to his feet.

"That was amazing, I've never seen someone fight like that!" Though his pride as a warrior was a little stung at being defeated by a smaller and unarmored man, the happiness at finding an equal outweighed that greatly. They shook hands in with a new found respect for each other.

Melissa sat off to the side, a look of bemusement on her face. "That's great and all that you're buddies now, but we didn't get to see any of that special power of yours." Darren looked back, his face suddenly serious. He quickly walked over to a nearby tree, followed by the others.

They all stood in silence, even Daniel's face showing a rare serious look. Darren closed his eyes and reached into the swirling vortex of power inside himself. He took control of the vortex and focused it outward.

"Fire." Was all he said and out of his outstretched hand, a bolt of pure magic shot forth. It slammed into the tree, leaving a massive hole. The others stood wide-eyed at the power that Darren had at his control. Darren turned to the others, a grin on his face.

"You can see why I didn't use it in the fight. I wanted to beat him, not kill him." He said with a wink. Daniel shuddered at the thought of being hit by that bolt.

"Well then, I suppose we should head out, we can't make a living just standing around can we?" Melissa held up one finger in a gesture to hold for a moment. She gestured to the crossbow sitting next to their things.

"I would like to see how competent you are with that. You have proven that you are good enough to help, but I don't want you hitting one of us because you are incompetent." Darren fought not to roll his eyes at the statement. Hadn't he proven his ability yet? _Oh well might as well not give them any doubts. _Daniel set up one of the skins that Darren had taken from the wolves as a target. Darren and Melissa set up side by side, Darren with a small crossbow to fit his small frame, but Melissa with a huge longbow.

"Can you even draw that monster?" Melissa rolled her eyes. She quickly drew and knocked an arrow. In one swift movement she drew and fired. The arrow flew through the air and slammed into the skin, sticking in the tree behind it. Darren stared wide eyed at the arrow that was still quivering in the tree. Melissa quickly drew and fired thrice more. All of the arrow stuck in a small group and the men had to marvel at the skill that had just been displayed. Darren sighed, knowing that he couldn't possibly match up, but he had to fire to prove that he wasn't a slouch with his weapon either. He took aim and when he was sure that it would fly true, he pulled the trigger and let fly. He watched, almost in slow motion as the bolt flew through the air. His heart pounded in his ears and he realized that he wasn't breathing. The bolt slammed into the target right in the center of the group of arrows. Darren let out his breath in one explosive exhale and turned to Melissa. She stood with her face completely blank. They stood staring at each other for several moments before she nodded. Suddenly, Daniel appeared with his arms over both of their shoulders, a grin plastered on his face.

"Right. With that nasty business out of the way, welcome to the group!" He pounded Darren's back before continuing. "Sorry we can't throw a party, but we haven't had a job for a while and we... How do I put it? Don't have any money!" he said with a smile. Darren's jaw dropped. _I guess that they were looking for a new hand anyway. I suppose I shouldn't feel special that I was the first that they came across. _

"So? Where should we head first?"

"Well, we were headed to the town of Torfan to see if there was any work before we ran into you."

"Well then, why change? Lets go!" Darren quickly donned his pack and set off down the road. His two companions shared a glance before following Darren to what was sure to be the most interesting journey they'd ever had.

**A/N: Sorry for a long wait for such a short chapter. My computer went down and I couldn't upload this chapter. I intend for the next chapter to be a tad longer. I also apologize if this chapter was boring at all, but thanks to anyone who took the time to read my story.**


	4. Encounters

Chapter 4: Encounters

The low buzz of conversation that filled _The Emperor's Glory _was a constant that all of the tavern goers were used to and felt comfortable with. A bard stood in the corner, playing a flute and on occasion a coin was tossed in his direction. Behind the counter, there was a large man cleaning mugs. He smiled at a man who ordered a drink and gladly slid a mug down the counter to him.

Suddenly, the whole bar fell silent as a group of strangers entered the tavern. The bartender glanced when he heard the conversation cease. He observed the three newcomers as they entered the room. Right when they came into the room, they dispersed, but it was clear that they didn't fit in.

One, a tall armored man with long flowing blonde hair went and sat with a group of men that came in on a regular basis when they didn't have work as caravan guards. The second, a small but pretty woman with short black hair sat near a few women of the town and they quickly forgot her presence and fell back into their conversation.

The bartender cast his glance around because he had lost sight of the third stranger. He started to get worried before he finally spotted the stranger sitting at a table that had been playing liar's dice. The person was cloaked from head to toe in a pitch black cloak so the bartender couldn't even ascertain his gender. The man watched as the person reached up and lowered their hood. His eyes widened as he saw the exceptionally attractive, exotic face of the man under the hood. His red-brown hair was held up in a ponytail and his face lit up as he grinned at the other men seated around the table.

The bartender sighed as he watched the other men sitting at the table welcome the stranger, loving the thought of a new sucker to take money from.

"Money plays. You do have money, don't you?" one of the men at the table asked. The grin on his face revealing a mouth missing several teeth. In response, the stranger reached into his cloak and pulled out a small pouch. He emptied it onto the table, revealing a small pile of silver coins with a few gold coins scattered throughout. Several of the men at the table winced and looked at their own pitiful piles of copper coins. Few of them had silver and even fewer had gold.

"How about we make this interesting?" the stranger asked. "One throw of the dice. If you have a higher total, you can split this among you. If I win, you give me whatever information I want." the men around the table started to salivate at the thought of obtaining that money. They all nodded and elected one person to throw for them. He stood, put the dice into his cup, rattled them and threw.

The dice spun around the table and finally settled to reveal a 6, a 4, three 3's and a 2. A total score of 21. The men around the table nodded, it was a fair roll. They handed the dice to the stranger and he casually spun the dice around. He cast the dice and they spun around the table. The men at the table stood over it, sweat dripping off their faces at the thought of new wealth. The stranger didn't even show a hint of nerves and waited for the dice to stop.

The dice stopped. Every face showed a 5, adding up for a total of thirty. All of the men fell to their seats, looks of disappointment all over their faces. The stranger patiently waited for them to get over it. Eventually, one of the men jumped to his feet, rage on his face.

"Cheater!" he cried and reached for a knife at his belt. Before his hand even reached the handle, the point of a spear pressed against his throat. The stranger had drawn his weapon in a split second and showed an amused look on his face. Everyone else in the room drew their weapons at the thought of a fight. Everyone except for the strangers were on their feet. The man and woman casually sat in their seats and the man at the gambling nonchalantly held his spear to the man's throat.

"Everyone calm down or get out." the bartender had not even stopped wiping the counter. Several large men appeared around the room, brandishing clubs and threatening all those involved in the brawl.

Everyone stood for several moments and the bartender even wondered if they intended to fight. However in the end the people all sheathed their weapons and took their seats. The group of strangers sat and talked for a few moments more before getting up as one and leaving.

Once outside, Darren stretched his arms behind his head and grinned at his friends. They had been in Torfan for 3 days and were having trouble finding any paying jobs. Daniel and Melissa were out of money, so they were relying on the last of Darren's money for room and board.

"So, find out any good information? Those guys playing dice only heard that the roads have been struck by bandits lately."

"The men I was chatting with said that a large caravan is going to be heading in the direction of the capital and they are still looking for guards if you don't mind working with others." Darren shrugged. He had never worked with others because other than his two friends, anyone who had seen his powers had not reacted well. The three of them discussed the idea of working for a caravan for a few moments before agreeing and heading out to look for the merchant who owned it.

They found the merchant talking with his drivers. He was a fat man who clearly had enough money to live in excess. They approached the man with Daniel at the head.

"Hail, sir!" he called out. The man turned with an annoyed look on his face.

"What is it? We've gotta set out in the next hour or we'll have to wait another day."

"Good sir, we are here to offer our services as guards for your expedition." The man had a speculative look on his face while he studied the group. Only one of them had the look of a warrior and the others looked more like a liability than an asset in a fight. However, in the end he could only sigh and accept their offer.

"You're lucky that I'm short of hands. The empire is hiring up all the mercenaries around to fight in some skirmish up north. Oh well, go and get acquainted with your new team. We set our in an hour. Don't let me down." Darren gave a dazzling grin that lit up his face.

"No, worries. We won't." He gave a wink before striding off in the direction of the other guards. The others gave each other a look that said "Well, here we go." before following.

They all loaded their packs into the wagon that all of the guards used to carry their things. They glanced around at their new team and Daniel visibly winced. There were a total of 7 other guards. 4 were the men that had been in the tavern earlier and they were visibly drunk. Two others were wearing ragged armor and held rusty weapons. It was clear that they weren't used to fighting.

Only the last member appeared to have any competence. He was a giant of a man. Shorter than Daniel, but much broader. He was outfitted in plate and held himself with the cool confidence of a man who had been in (and won) his fair share of fights. He leaned against the wagon, his giant tower shield leaning beside his. His large war hammer held by a loop on his belt.

Even though they were all resting before they set out, he wore all of his armor, including a helmet that completely covered his face. Darren's eyes narrowed as he studied the man. _Now what is such an obvious veteran of battle doing guarding a caravan? _However he didn't have time to think on it because the merchant called to set out. The drivers set their horses moving and the 4 caravans rumbled down the road.

The 10 guards walked beside the wagons, keeping an eye out for trouble as they made their way to the capital.

That night.

Darren stretched his sore muscles while he took a seat beside one of the many cook fires that the group had set up. The day had passed without commotion and they were all thankful that there wasn't any trouble. Darren took off his cloak and laid it out as a blanket in preparation to sleep. His turn for watch wasn't until midnight. Just as he was starting to drift off to sleep, the armored man walked up to their campfire. He stood at the edge of their circle until Daniel gestured for him to take a seat. Without a word, he sat against a stump between Darren and Daniel. He reached up and removed his helm to reveal a broad face. His head was shaven and his face was marked with several scars, however none were severe enough to disfigure him. It was a rugged, yet still handsome face.

With a grunt, Darren sat back up. He had a few questions for this mysterious man.

"You look like a soldier. And even if you aren't, I heard that the empire is recruiting all mercenaries possible. What are you doing guarding a merchant caravan?" The man looked back at Darren with a disinterested look.

"I was. Now I'm not. I need the money." he answered back, his deep voice almost reverberating in Darren's ears. Darren shrugged, that was as good an answer as any. He looked around the fire to see Daniel snoring beside the fire and Melissa hidden in the shadows, most likely asleep.

"Well, I'm Darren and these are my friends Daniel and Melissa. And you are?"

"I am called Caed." he answered simply. Darren, satisfied, shrugged and prepared to go to sleep, but he was interrupted when Caed asked him a question.

"And you? You don't have the look of a guard about you."

Darren could only shrug. "Same as you, I'm in need of some coin. Plus if we do get attacked, it would be a good chance to have some fun." Caed raised an eyebrow at Darren's remark. He looked at him for several seconds before smiling for the first time that Darren had seen.

"Aye, testing yourself in martial combat is enjoyable." He shifted in his seat and leaned forward.

"Then please allow me to ask you one more question." he pointed to the necklace hanging from Darren's neck. "I have been curious since I first saw you. What is that?" Darren fingered the talon hanging from his neck and a small, reminiscent smile showed on his face.

"This? I have been told that it is the talon of a dragon. When I was found by my parents it was on my neck." The smile on his face turned sad as he remembered why he had left that family. Caed looked at Darren for several seconds before nodding. He then started to polish his armor and shield and Darren took that as a sign that the conversation was over. With a yawn, Darren went to sleep.

The next day.

As usual, Darren awoke long before his friends and also like usual, he prepared breakfast and slowly the smell made the others start to stir. They all got ready for the day and had breakfast. Afterwords they set out for another day on the road.

While the convoy was moving down the road, the guards positioned themselves in pairs along the road. The drunk guards were in two pairs, each member trying to work off a hangover. Daniel and Melissa walked to together and Darren walked alongside Caed behind the ragged guards. Darren stole a glance at his partner and wondered to himself how he could possibly stand marching for hours on end in all that heavy armor. His thoughts were interrupted when a cry came from the front. He quickly cast his gaze to the front and saw one of the ragged guards worrying over his friend. The man fell to his knees and collapsed, revealing an arrow protruding from his chest. Darren's body stiffened and he jerked his head around, looking for who shot the arrow.

With a battle cry, a dozen bandits appeared from their hiding spots around the road and charged the convoy. Caed calmly drew his hammer from his belt and stepped forward as the first of the bandits reached them. The bandit swung his blade in a overhead slash, but Caed merely lifted his tower shield and diverted the slash. The bandit was thrown off balance and Caed casually swung his war hammer in an side handed blow that crushed the man's skull as it collided with his temple.

The surviving ragged guard cried out and tried to run away. In moments he was surrounded by the bandits and was cut down. Darren cast his gaze around the battlefield and scanned the layout. There were 4 men attacking the previously drunk guards, but they were surprisingly competent when sober and Darren knew that he wouldn't have to worry about them. Three other men attacked Daniel and Melissa, but Darren didn't have time to worry when the last 4 men attacked him and Caed. They came from both sides, forcing the two warriors to stand back to back.

"Just like how you wanted right." Darren could hear the smile in his battle partners voice and he laughed out loud. He quickly grabbed the clasp at his neck and cast his cloak into the air.

"Let the games begin." They both struck at the same time as their enemies entered attack range. Darren ducked below the side cut of one bandit and quickly side stepped the overhand cut of his partner. Darren sighed at the weakness of these men and jabbed his spear up through the jaw of the nearest bandit with obvious contempt on his face. The remaining bandit's face was showed fear at the ease his companion had been dispatched. He wildly swung his sword, desperate to survive. Darren weaved between his obvious swings and waited until the bandit tired himself out.

Exhaustion finally overcame the bandit and he stumbled. Darren used it to his advantage and grabbed the back of the man's head. He drove his nose right into his knee and the bandit stumbled backwards, dazed. Disgust on his face, Darren sauntered up to the man, drew a curved knife from the sheath on his belt and cut the man's throat. The bandit fell to the ground, writhing and trying to staunch river of blood that spilled from his neck. Shaking his head, Darren turned back to see Caed struggling to fight off his enemies. _How disappointing, I thought that he would be more skilled than this._

Darren sprinted to the closest bandit, who was distracted in his fight. Darren slammed his shoulder into the man's midsection. He stumbled back, the breath knocked out of him. Darren took advantage of the situation and jabbed his spear towards the chest of the man. However, the man managed to parry his thrust and even returned with a stab of his own. After exchanging blows with the man for several moments, a grin appeared on Darren's face. This was what he was looking for! Suddenly, the man dropped to a knee and took a handful of dirt. He cast it into Darren's eyes, forcing him to stumble back.

"Duck!" A deep voice boomed. Darren didn't even hesitate and dropped to the ground. A massive hammer swung through the air right where his head had been only a moment before, clipping the bandit's chin. Darren jumped to his feet and pulled his crossbow from his belt. He held it outstretched in his right hand. The bandit froze in place and a sad look appeared on his face as he realized that he had lost.

"Checkmate." Darren pulled the trigger and released the bolt into the man's skull, right between the eyes. This man had been an opponent worth fighting. He turned to scan the rest of the battlefield. The guards had finished off their foes, but two of them were injured. Daniel and Melissa had dispatched their enemies and stood resting.

Darren looked over to see Caed staring at him, his helm held in his hands.

"You fight well." Darren grinned at him.

"As do you. How would you like to join us after we are done escorting this convoy? That is, unless you have something else to do." Caed cocked his head, thinking. He stood for several moments before looking back at Darren.

"I would be honored to accompany a warrior such as yourself." Darren stood in front of Caed and offered his hand. They firmly shook hands in a sign of their new partnership. Darren turned back to the body of the bandit with the bolt in his head. He grabbed a shovel from the tools in one of the caravans and began to dig several holes beside the road.

"What are you doing?" Daniel asked him as he walked over from the back of the convoy.

"Though they were our enemies, they fought well and deserve a decent grave." His friends all looked at him, speculative looks on their faces. Darren merely turned and continued to dig.

**A/N: Thank you for reading, and remember I would love to know what you think of any given chapter, or just the story in general, so don't hesitate to review or even send me a message with your thoughts. I'll try to take any opinions on it into consideration and work to make this story as good as I can make it. Thank ya very much!**


	5. Back Home

**A/N: Wow, I am so sorry that this chapter has taken so long to come out. I have no excuses, so I won't make any. I hope that anyone who has stuck with it will forgive me.**

Chapter 5: Back Home

The sun beat down on the dusty road as it was traversed by a small trade caravan. Several people walked beside the trade wagons while a few road on and guided the horses. Darren walked to the left of the wagon and looked around at the rest of the group. Melissa walked beside him, neither of them saying anything. Behind them, Daniel walked beside Caed, talking a mile a minute. Darren chuckled to himself as he imagined Caed's pained face underneath his helmet while Daniel talked at him.

With the exception of that isolated attack, the trip had been rather uneventful. Darren smiled, he had been alone for years, and as such, was unused to friendship. However, now he had three friends that he would gladly give his life for. He smiled, content.

As the day wore on, Darren noticed that Melissa was being more quiet than usual. As they got closer to Jarkan, her face got darker and darker, and Darren started to worry. Once it started to get dark though, the merchant in charge called a halt.

"We're not gonna make it to the capital today. Set up camp, we'll get there tomorrow." Darren watched as relief flooded Melissa's face and she let out a small sigh. She nervously glanced around to make sure no one had noticed and Darren pretended to be looking back at Daniel and Caed. She sighed again and walked on, her face less dark than before.

When they set camp for the night, the caravan split into its little groups and the four of them sat around a fire together as night fell and the day ended. The fire crackled and the light shone on each of their faces around the fire as they sat in silence. Daniel attempted several times to get a conversation started, but it sputtered and died each time. So they sat. In the dark, they could hear the murmur of conversation from the other campfires, but around their fire the only sound that could be heard was the cracking of the wood on the the fire. Daniel seemed uncomfortable in the silence, but Caed and Melissa didn't seem at all bothered by it.

Finally, Darren couldn't take it anymore, so he asked what had been on his mind for a while now.

"Melissa, why is it that you seem to be dreading us reaching our destination? Is there some reason that you don't want to go to the capital?" Her eyes shot open in shock and she jerked her head up to face him. She looked at Darren for a long minute until she finally just sighed.

"Couldn't get it past you, huh? You're right, I'm not looking forward to getting to Jarkan, there are some things there that I would rather stay buried." Darren looked at her, befuddled.

"What is that supposed to mean? What kind of history do you have in the capital?" Melissa just sat in silence, not answering.

Eventually, Daniel sighed and said, "She is the daughter to one of the upper nobles in the empire. She was, what was it, 34th or 35th in line for the throne was it? She gave that up when she left to travel with me though." Both Darren and Caed jumped to their feet in surprise.

"W-WH-WHAT? What do you mean? She's a noble?!" As Darren started yelling, Daniel slammed his hand over Darren's mouth, stopping the sound of his voice from reaching farther than a few feet.

"Yes, she is, and I'm only telling you because you are a friend, but please don't go spreading that around. Okay?" A hand still covering his mouth, Darren nodded and Daniel released him.

Quieter this time, Darren asked "If you are a noble, then why are you traveling as an adventurer? Or even traveling without an escort or anything?" This time, Melissa answered directly.

"I never liked the palace life. I never had any freedom and I hated it. So, when Daniel came by the our manor to pay his respects and ask if there was any tasks we needed done, I knew what I wanted. When he left, I snuck out and asked him to take me with him. He did and here we are." Darren turned to look at Daniel.

"What? I believe in freedom. If she wanted to come along, who was I to stop her? Plus she has more than proved herself as worth it." Darren opened his mouth to ask more, but closed it again when he saw the look that Daniel gave him. He sighed. Oh well, that was enough to keep satisfy him for one night. If she wanted to tell more, she would. Content, Darren lowered himself to the ground and slept.

The next day, the caravan set off at first light. As they walked, Darren could still see apprehension on Melissa's face, but less so than yesterday. At about midday, Darren saw something on the horizon. It started as a dot, but as the day wore on, it got larger and larger. At first, Darren was a little bit disappointed, he expected the capital to be larger. However, as they walked, the city seemed to get larger while they didn't seem to be getting any closer. Hours passed, Darren's awe growing with each step.

Eventually, the caravan master called out, "Right, there she is. The capital city, Jarkan." Darren blinked several times, not believing his eyes. As they stood before the city gates, the hundred foot walls spread on endlessly in either direction. Under the midday sun, they gleamed like gold and Darren had to shield his eyes, or else be blinded. Before this, the largest settlement that Darren had been to was Torfan, which he had thought was large. He now realized how miniscule it was in comparison. He was sure they could fit a dozen of Torfan inside the capital city. Darren glanced around at the rest of the group, and none of them seemed at all amazed. They all walked forward to the guards in front of the gate, leaving Darren marveling at the city like a country bumpkin. Sighing he followed them.

The merchant took got them all entrance to the city and they walked past the guards. Once inside, the merchant pulled to the side of the road to give them their pay for the trip. Everyone lined up and the merchant handed out small bags to each of the remaining guards. Darren sighed after looking inside his bag. It was only a bag with a handful of silvers. While he and his friends circled up to discuss their next move while the other guards went off to the nearest tavern to spend their pay. Darren looked at his friends.

"So, what do we do next?" They all thought in silence for a moment before Caed answered from behind his helmet.

"I doubt we will be able to decide now, let us find a place for the night and decide in a day or two." They all nodded in agreement and set about finding an inn to stay at for the night.

After searching for a few hours, they found an inn and rented a couple of rooms, one for the men and one for the woman. They were gentlemen after all. After a little pointless chatter, they went to bed.

The next morning, they had breakfast and decided on holding off making a decision for the day and just exploring the capital. Leaving their larger weapons in their rooms, they all took a dagger and left to wander the streets.

Darren wandered around the streets marveling at all the sights. The roads were flooded with people, and movement was difficult for anyone on the main roads. Grunting in effort, Darren turned off the main road and into a side alley. The roads were still wide, but there were far fewer people on these roads. Stalls were set up all along the sides of the road and people could be seen haggling with merchants for everything from fish the fine jewelery. As he walked by, several people turned to stare at Darren, partly because he was a very exotic looking man, and partially because of his fine, yet strange looking clothing. Obviously thinking that he was a wealthy person, one merchant called him over. Curious, Darren decided to humor the man and went over. Immediately, the man began his sales pitch.

"Hello good sir! You look like a man who knows what he wants!" He began. Darren raised an eyebrow at this. The man reached down and from below him pulled out an ornately crafted necklace with a large gem set in middle.

"This good sir is the finest gold! And just look at that gorgeous emerald in the center! It would match your eyes perfectly! Luckily for you, I can give this to you for a mere 15 gold pieces. A steal, no?" Darren nodded in agreement. It was a beautiful piece and he could afford it. Darren reached into his pouch and pulled out just enough to buy the necklace. As he reached out to hand over the money, a hand grasped his wrist. He looked up into the face of a bearded man with a smirk on his face. Before Darren could voice his displeasure however, the man spoke.

"New around here are you?" Darren's face showed confusion, so the man elaborated.

"When a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is." He snatched the bauble from the enraged merchant and drew a dagger. Darren tensed, but the man merely cut a deep gouge in the necklace. Beneath a thin layer of gold, a gray color could be seen. Lead. Darren turned a piercing glare at the merchant.

"What is that? That man must have switched out my necklace with a fake one so he could make off with the real one!" The merchant accused. He got several looks from passers by and it was clear that no one was buying it. The merchant cleared his throat and turned his attention back to the street, calling over new patrons, completely ignoring Darren now that he had been exposed. Darren scowled and began to walk away, but stopped and turned to the man who had helped him.

"Thank you very much. I've never been in a city before, so I'm a little bit unprepared." The man laughed richly and deeply.

"Not a problem. I don't like cheats, so it was a pleasure. I am not doing anything, so would you like a guide for the time being?" Darren quickly nodded in agreement, and they set off for a tour of the city.

They stayed in the merchant section, but the man calmly explained about the city and answered all of the many questions that Darren had. After about an hour, Darren stopped and stood in place, realizing something. The man turned back, realizing that his companion had stopped. A questioning look showed on his face.

"I just realized that even though you've been helping me this whole time, we haven't introduced ourselves. My name is Darren, nice to meet you." The man bellowed a laugh, its rich sound ringing in Darren's ears.

"Well said Darren. I am Sir Gabriel Hallsworth, knight of the noble Rothchild family. It is a pleasure to be of service. This time, it was Darren's turn to laugh. Formalities over with, they set of again on their tour of the district.

As time passed, Darren found himself coming to like this man. He was a good person and had a sense of humor that worked with Darren's. Out of the corner of his eye, Darren spotted a familiar figure in green.

"Melissa!" He called out. She turned to face his, but her eyes shot wide open when she looked at him.

"From behind him, Darren heard, "M-My lady!" Darren's head jerked around as he turned to look at his new friend. Looking back, he saw Melissa sprint away. Gabriel took off after, and Darren, curious, followed suit. They kept her in sight and followed as quickly as they could, but when she turned back onto the main road, she disappeared among the crowd. Gabriel froze in place and his head jerked left and right, searching. Eventually, his head dropped, and he sighed in frustration. However, his head jerked back up, as if something had just come to him.

"Darren! How do you know My lady?!" He frantically questioned. He grabbed Darren by the shoulders as he questioned him.

Darren looked at him for a moment before calmly answering, "She is a companion of mine. We travel together. How do you know her?" Surprise flashed in his eyes.

"Like I told you, I am a knight of the Rothchild family. I was her bodyguard as she was growing up. I looked for her for years, but eventually I was called back by the family to assume new duties. But to think, to find her after all this time! Darren, you have to tell me where she went!" Darren shook his head slowly.

"I'm sorry Gabriel, but I can't do that. She ran from you for a reason. Even though I've only met you today, I consider you a friend. However, please don't ask me to betray a friend." Gabriel stared hard into Darren's face. They stood that way for several minutes. Eventually, Gabriel nodded and walked away. Darren sighed in relief. He was sad that he couldn't help him, but he had no choice. Turning around, Darren walked back toward the inn that they were staying.

At the inn, Darren found his three friends gathered around a table. He took a seat and turned immediately to Melissa.

"What was that? Why did you run away?" She looked down at her lap, showing no response. Daniel and Caed showed confused looks on their faces. Just when he was about to ask again, she spoke.

"I already told you. I ran away from home. I don't want to go back. I refuse to go. That, and..." She paused. "They might think that I was kidnapped..." At this, Daniel's head jerked in her direction.

"Wait, what?! What are you talking about?!" Melissa just gave an apologetic smile, one of the few times Darren had ever seen her show emotion.

She just looked back down at her lap and whispered, "Please, can we just forget about this and leave this place?" Everyone around the table sighed. In the end, they decided to let the topic end. Instead, they began speaking about what they would do the next day. Their discussion lasted as the sun traveled across the sky and began to set. As their conversation drew to a close, Daniel turned to the rest of the group.

"I think that that is all there is to discuss. I think that we sho-" The door flew open and soldiers rushed in. Two dozen soldiers in shining steal plate surrounded them and behind them, Darren saw Gabriel.

"My Lady. I have come to take you home." He turned to the soldiers.

"Take the lady back to the Manor." He then looked at Daniel. "And seize that kidnapper."

**A/N: I realize that this is a woefully short and inadequate chapter for such a long wait. Honestly, I'm not really satisfied, but I don't want to make you wait any longer (If you've actually been following it), and I realized I'm a douche for making my first returning chapter end on a cliffhanger. I hope to not have a break that long anytime again soon, I'll try to have another chapter within a week and then one every week or two. Lastly, I'm probably a jerk for asking this, but please review. Any thoughts on characters or the story help and I would love to hear your thoughts. Well that's it, I'm out.**

**Cassius Brutus**


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